Long before the rise of Atlantis (the legend goes) a race of people came to our solar system from a group of stars now known as the Pleiades. They called themselves the People of Mu, but were also know as Manahuna or Menehune, the "people of secret power" because of their advanced technology and psychic powers. They were a small pygmy-like people, with their own unique philosophy for successful living.

Once firmly established on Earth, they began to extend their knowledge to all humankind so that it would survive throughout time. Their language was Polynesian, traces of which are still found all over the world today, and their knowledge was Huna.

Huna is a philosophy of life that is at the root of all ancient cultures and spiritual paths. Free of dogma, it is simply the "'secret science behind miracles" or the hidden knowledge, deep within our souls, of who we are and how our lives can really work. Within the Huna philosophy, there are seven spiritual principles of life which explain the way the world works. These principles, which are universal and all-encompassing, go beyond our perceptions of reality, with a meaning much deeper than meets the eye. The seven principles of Huna (meaning secret, or hidden knowledge) are refreshingly simple yet very powerful, and can serve as meditations or chants for enhancing everyday life. The vowels are pronounced as in the Spanish language--a as in father, e as in prey, i as in pita, o as in mote, u as in duty.

IKE--the world is what you think it is
KALA--there are no limits
MAKIA--energy flows where attentions goes
MANAWA--now is the moment of power
ALOHA--to love is to be happy with
MANA--all power comes from within
PONO--effectiveness is the measure of truth

A brief introduction to the principles and how they can be applied to everyday life

1. IKE: THE WORLD IS WHAT YOU THINK IT IS. When we criticize another, we are implying that they are not acting in accordance with our personal framework of reality. However, everyone has their own individual perception of what reality is, according to their own beliefs and assumptions about life. Our personal view is only what's true for us, so we tend to invalidate what we do not understand. If we truly love another, then we will strive to understand their point of view. It is every bit as valid to them as ours is to us, and provides the balancing polarity to our point of view. According to the principle of IKE, you must bless another's contrasting viewpoint if you want yours to be accepted at all, or blessed in return.

2. KALA: THERE ARE NO LIMITS, and in a universe of no limits, we have an all-encompassing lokahi--unity--of all things and all beings. We are intimately connected to each other and to everything in existence. Every thought produces an effect at some level. Therefore, when we criticize someone, we are asking to be criticized. But when you find yourself hating another for the way they act towards you, you may find--if you look closely at yourself--that you too, are guilty of acting the same way at some time. The beauty of this principle is that when you bless another, you are blessing yourself as well, and you will be blessed by others. When you bless anything, you are being blessed! We are truly one Being, sharing one mind and growing through all matter and many faces. This concept of oneness explains why telepathy works and why the collective thought forms of the masses create our reality here on Earth. In relationships you are relating to yourself through your partner. Therefore every curse or blessing you give returns to you, because we are One. We are the giver, receiver and that which is given, all in the same Holy Instant.

3. MAKIA: ENERGY FLOWS WHERE YOUR ATTENTION GOES. We get what we focus on, so it is wise to look closely at the object of our focus. If we pay close attention to what we don't like about an individual, then it grows in our awareness and experience with them. By focusing on the good in them, we can experience and bless that instead. According to this third principle, you are where your attention is, because you are your attention. A great master from India once said, "If your attention is diffused, then you are diffused. If your attention is in the past, then you are in the past. If your attention is in the present moment, then you are in God and God is in you."

4. MANAWA: NOW IS THE MOMENT OF POWER. The third principle leads into the fourth. How many of us live in the moment and appreciate its beauty and grace? When we can approach each moment without judgment, it reveals itself as a Holy Instant waiting to be born into our awareness. Every moment is a miracle of life propelled forth by the previous moment. If you trace your thoughts back in time you will find that your current situations and relationships are truly designed by your thinking and your beliefs about life. Only decisions that you make right now can have any effect on your future.

Therefore, changing anything in our experience requires changing the way we think, and carrying that thinking forth in each progressive "now". As kupua--shamans, healers--we can learn to change the memory of our past, so that, in turn, this will change our thoughts in the present and our experience in the future. It has been said by a wise man that "life is what is happening while you are busy making other plans." Since "now is the moment of power" let us strive to enjoy each moment as an opportunity to refine our skills, grow our talents and glean whatever blessings come to us in overcoming our limited perceptions of life and Reality.

5. ALOHA: TO LOVE, IS TO BE HAPPY WITH. In Huna, this idea encompasses the power of blessing, and the practice of true acceptance. The more you can remove judgment from your thinking, the more love will flow in your life. By making this a daily practice and by blessing everyone and everything that represents what you want, you can fulfill your heart's desires. Love is the greatest power! This we know. The more we share this power, the more we become attuned to its divine nature--what the Hawaiians call ALOHA. The loving use of this limitless energy is the key to having everything that's worth having in this world, and it is the reason we are here on Earth.

Serge King states in his book Urban Shaman, "Criticism kills relationships". He has also said many times, "compliments build relationships". When we can teach ourselves to admire instead of criticize, affirm instead of doubt, appreciate instead of blame, and trust instead of worry, then we will have the experience of being ALOHA. And only then will we feel the awesome and limitless power of our life's simple blessings. Bless the beauty in all people and in nature around you--the mountains, the trees, the sun, the moon, the sea, the smiles, the laughter, the cry of a seagull, the love of a mother, the innocence of a child, the companionship of a friend, and the inspiration of a teacher. Bless the food you eat and the health of yourself and your family. Bless constantly and be thankful for everyone and everything in your life, and you will feel more joy and happiness than you could ever have imagined possible. Since "everything is alive, aware and responsive", the corollary of this principle, in blessing everything, you will be blessed by everything.

6. MANA: The sixth principle, ALL POWER COMES FROM WITHIN, reminds us that things only have power over us to the degree that we give them our power. We sometimes give our power away by letting others make decisions for us. And when we focus on something we don't like, we give it the power to make us unhappy. And the more we think about it, the more unhappy we become, since everything is responsive to our attention. Unless we approach life's challenges as a means of refining our skills as a peacemaker and a loving human being, we give our power away. If our purpose for living here on Earth is to remember our divinity and to overcome our fear to love unconditionally, then we will pursue that purpose and find that we are powerful beyond measure. If you acknowledge this and begin to live it, then everyone you encounter will feel God in you, just as you will feel God in them. Claim your power; own it! May the Source be with you.

The following exercise can help you connect to your MANA--life force--with your Aumakua--High Self:

Sit comfortably and close your eyes for at least one full minute as you do some abdominal breathing. While you breath deeply, think of something really beautiful. See it clearly in your mind's eye and hold it there. See all the details of its beauty--colour, size, shape, smell, sound, texture, etc. As you hold this image of great beauty in your mind and begin to bless it with your breathing, your energy field will change. When you finish this meditation, you will feel quite peaceful. Bless and be thankful for this connection with your Aumakua. It is easy to connect with God, because His light shines in all people and in all things. This energy of alohamana--loving power--is what binds the whole universe together. We only have to turn our attention inwards to find an unlimited abundance of it hidden in our souls. All power comes from within.

Long ago, the term given to the missionaries by the Hawaiians was haole, meaning, without breath. The Hawaiian kahunas--masters-- and priests--couldn't understand how anyone could perform sacred rituals without pumping mana--divine power--using their breathing to increase and direct the movement of the life force. The Hawaiian kahuna used the HA--breath of life--as their main tool for instant healing and rituals. There is a form of breathing called piko-piko--center to center--which greatly expands your aura or energy field. It involves focusing your attention on the crown of your head as you breathe in deeply, and on your navel as your exhale fully. In practicing this breath, we are reminded of our profound connections to Heaven and Earth. Do this for three full minutes and you will be amazed at how connected to life you will feel.

7. PONO: The seventh principle, EFFECTIVENESS IS THE MEASURE OF TRUTH, begs for a closer look at what is or isn't working for you in your life. If something is not giving you the results you want, then change your approach. The corollary to this idea is that "there is always another way to do anything". As human beings, we have great creative abilities to explore different approaches to our problems. However, we often become fixated on getting something a certain way, or through a certain person, within a certain time frame. We can be stubborn and try to kill the relationship in order to get our way, or we can take a deep breath and back off. Often when we force something it breaks. Learning to "let go and let God" is a very powerful way to get help from your Higher Source. If you truly surrender, remembering that all power comes from within, you will find a new idea, person or approach to your problem. A synchronicity will take place once the universe has had time to align with your prayerful request. In giving up your frustration and allowing the miracle of life to take over, you will experience a release of great pressure knowing that your problem is being processed at the very highest level. Now more energy can flow into other areas of your life that need your love and attention.

Sometimes our fixation in getting what we want, when we want it, is so deep that it seems impossible to find our way. Relax, piko- piko breathe, and give it up. We want our relationships to be harmonious and flowing, but we don't act as if we want to learn how to make this happen. Instead, we tend to cling to old habits of reacting even if they don't work. The opportunity to have the miracle happen is always waiting for you, and you can start to access it by changing the first thought you have every day.

Do you wake up dreading the coming day, rather than bouncing out of bed filled with joyous expectation? By changing this one small pattern, you may change the rest of your life. You might simply have to change what it is that you are getting our of bed for. Try greeting each new day aloud, bless it and breathe it in deeply. Say "good morning" to life, your angels, or your spiritual master, with joyous enthusiasm. Or read your favorite spiritual book before you start your day, allowing your early morning thoughts to be guided toward the light in you. To get even better results with waking, you can influence your patterns before going to sleep at night. Give thanks for the day's achievements, however small, and bless them. Simply saying "Thank you God, thank you God," over and over again until you fall asleep, can positively transform your wake-up mood as well as your dream state. This "attitude of gratitude" is very powerful and can be used any time during the day. It is an extremely effective way to enlighten your mood.

Chanting the seven principles in Hawaiian will generate a very powerful frequency that will change any mood or situation and connect you with your inner Source. Remember the vowels are pronounced as in Spanish--a as in father, e as in prey, i as in pita, o as in mote, u as in duty

IKE--KALA--MAKIA--MANAWA--ALOHA--MANA--PONO

The following is a very effective blessing chant you can repeat and use to empower yourself.

Each three-word phrase represents one of the seven principles:
I AM AWARE, I AM FREE, I AM FOCUSED, I AM HERE, I AM LOVED, I AM STRONG, I AM HEALED. (repeat again & again)

Blessing seems like such a simple thing, but its awesome power should not be underestimated. A kahuna--Hawaiian master--once said, "It's so easy to overlook the most simple perfection in all things, in search of the complexity of Truth." Abraham Kawai'i.